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ENFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
FEBRUARY 22, 2000
A Regular Meeting of the Enfield Town Council was held in the Council Chambers of the Enfield Town Hall, 820 Enfield Street, Enfield, Connecticut on Tuesday, February 22, 2000. Chairwoman Strom called the meeting to order at 7:50 p.m.
PRAYER - The Prayer was given by Chairwoman Strom.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - The Pledge of Allegiance was said.
ROLL-CALL - Present were Councilors Dodd, Egan, Falk, Fiore, Kaupin, Mangini, Strom, and Surapine. Councilors Hall, McGuire, and Vayda were absent. Also present were Assistant Town Manager, Daniel Vindigni; Town Clerk, Suzanne F. Olechnicki; Director of Community Development, Debbie Oppermann; Director of Finance, Gregory Simmons; Director of Information Systems, Charlene Bond.
MINUTES OF PRECEDING MEETINGS
MOTION #4461 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Fiore to accept the minutes of the January 18, 2000 Regular Meeting as amended.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4461 adopted 8-0-0.
MOTION #4462 by Councilor Mangini, seconded by Councilor Kaupin to accept the minutes of the January 31, 2000 Special Meeting.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4462 adopted 8-0-0.
MOTION #4463 by Councilor Dodd, seconded by Councilor Egan to accept the minutes of the February 7, 2000 Special Meeting.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4463 adopted 8-0-0.
MOTION #4464 by Councilor Falk, seconded by Councilor Mangini to accept the minutes of the February 7, 2000 Regular Meeting.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4464 adopted 8-0-0.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Margaret Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Stated her belief the Town and Board of Education spend money recklessly. She voiced concern about the rise in taxes if the Board of Educations budget goes up 6.5%.
She voiced concern about the rise in taxes due to the referendum already passed.
Robert Tkacz, 1300 Enfield Street
Spoke about drop out rates, and stated his belief its not a major problem as the Board of Education has indicated.
Mr. Tkacz stated there are still problems at the Central Library - i.e., gutter problems.
As concerns noise problems in Enfield, Mr. Tkacz stated he investigated the area near the crematorium, and he doesnt believe theres a problem.
Mr. Tkacz stated neither the Purple Heart Museum nor the Connecticut Historical Society cleared snow out of the driveways or sidewalks in a prompt manner after the recent snowstorm. He noted they finally did plow at about 2:00 a.m.
Frank Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Spoke about the need for proper signage regarding notification of Town and Board meetings.
Mr. Jedziniak commended the Public Works Department for their work during 1999 and up until the present.
He stated his belief 80% of the people in Enfield know nothing about the Town Charter.
Mr. Jedziniak noted he took his own poll as to why referendum questions failed, and he noted people indicated they could not afford these items.
COUNCILOR COMMUNICATIONS & PETITIONS
Councilor Mangini commended the Public Works Department for their work.
Referring to the lack of a meeting announcement sign, Councilor Mangini stated her belief this was simply an oversight on the part of Town staff since theyre always very diligent about meeting notices.
Councilor Mangini stated she had the pleasure of presenting a proclamation for a Boys and Girls Scouts celebration. She noted its a great honor to have this type of dedication from Enfields young people.
MOTION #4465 by Councilor Surapine, seconded by Councilor Falk to include an item under ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION re: Pilot Program - Trash Barrels for Thompsonville.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4465 adopted 8-0-0.
Councilor Falk requested Mr. Tkaczs concern about problems at Central Library be looked into. He added there are bad potholes in the area of the exit road from this library. Mr. Vindigni indicated hed have this checked.
Councilor Falk announced that there will be a spring performance by Voices, Inc. on March 16th and 17th.
Councilor Fiore thanked Mr. Vindigni and the Public Works staff for their quick response in addressing the problem on Fernwood Avenue.
Councilor Fiore stated he had the opportunity to sit as a Council liaison for the Athletic Hall of Fame Committee. He noted this has been a good experience. He stated this is a very energetic committee, and theyre doing a lot of fine things in town to recognize current and former athletes. He stated the Chairman from that committee will come before the Council on March 6th to give a short presentation on their plans.
Councilor Egan stated she attended the CCM meeting last week, and everything is very preliminary as concerns whats going on in the State Legislature because they just began meeting a week and a half ago. She noted it appears most of the Towns funding is going to be reinstated, and there will be much discussion about education monies. She stated they probably wont know what kind of money Enfield will get until after the budget is set.
OLD BUSINESS
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
All Town Council appointments remained tabled.
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN MANAGER)
MOTION #4466 by Councilor Falk, seconded by Councilor Kaupin to remove Items 7, 8, and 10 from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4466 adopted 8-0-0.
MOTION #4467 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Fiore to accept the Town Managers recommendation to appoint Michael J. Dziadzio (U), Richard M. Szewczak (D), and E. Patrick Storey (R) to the Conservation Commission.
Mr. Vindigni stated Mr. Dziadzio and Mr. Storey would be alternate positions, and Mr. Szewczak would be a regular position.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4467 adopted 8-0-0.
MOTION #4468 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Egan to remove Items c., i., and l., from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4468 adopted 8-0-0.
MOTION #4469 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Mangini to remove Items c., i., and l. from the agenda.
Referring to Item c., Councilor Kaupin explained theyre waiting for the recreational study to come back. He noted as concerns Item i., when something comes forward concerning the CDBG Program, theyll put it back on the agenda. As concerns Item l., Councilor Kaupin stated they have nothing concrete on these items at this time.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4469 adopted 8-0-0.
Items d., e., f., g., and h. remained tabled.
MOTION #4470 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Egan to remove item j. from the agenda.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4470 adopted 8-0-0.
RESOLUTION RE: FORMATION OF SENIOR CENTER BUILDING COMMITTEE
Chairwoman Strom noted the Council has a list of recommended names.
RESOLUTION #4471 by Councilor Mangini, seconded by Councilor Egan.
BE IT RESOLVED, that the five member committee shall consist of five regular members and two alternates and shall consist of the following people:
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Regular Members Alternate Members
Gertrude Dorous Sebastian Guerriero
Thomas R. Kealey Marlene Hoginski
Russell C. Maylott ~
Samuel P. McGill, Jr. ~
Adam Pierz ~
Councilor Mangini pointed out these individuals represent Districts 1 through 4.
Mayor Strom noted that a balance in age representation has also been incorporated in the membership.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4471 adopted 8-0-0.
Chairwoman Strom stated at the first meeting in March, a resolution stating the charge of the Senior Center Building Committee should be available.
Item k. remained tabled.
MOTION #4472 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Fiore to remove Item m. from the table.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4472 adopted 8-0-0.
RESOLUTION RE: POLICE FIREARMS
Councilor Dodd questioned whether the Council would consider the words, "all weaponry" in the last line of the resolution.
Councilor Fiore questioned what other weaponry would this refer to, and Councilor Dodd responded anything that could be considered a weapon.
Chairwoman Strom requested a clarification be supplied for the next meeting as to what is considered weaponry in the Police Department.
MOTION #4473 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Mangini to re-table this item.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4473 adopted 8-0-0.
NEW BUSINESS
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN COUNCIL)
All Town Council appointments remained on the agenda.
APPOINTMENTS (TOWN MANAGER)
MOTION #4474 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Falk to accept the Town Managers recommendation to make the following appointments:
Items 2, 3, 4 (Conservation Commission Appointments)
Mary Bergamini (R), as an Alternate to the Conservation Commission for a term which expires 3/1/02
Roger Olsen (R), reappointed as a regular member to the Conservation Commission for a term which expires 3/1/02
Gretchen Pfeifer-Hall (R), reappointed as a regular member to the Conservation Commission for a term which expires 3/1/02
Councilor Fiore noted its being suggested to fill a democratic slot with a republican member. He stated his belief this may cause an imbalance. Chairwoman Strom stated the alternate positions dont figure in on the Conservation Commission, therefore, this is not taking away the balance.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4474 adopted 8-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4475 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Falk.
RESOLVED, that the Enfield Town Council does hereby establish a hearing date on February 22nd, at 7:25 p.m., for the purpose of allowing concerned citizens an opportunity to express their opinions regarding the Proposed Amendment to an Ordinance Exempting Ambulance-Type Motor Vehicles from Personal Property Taxation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Public Hearing shall be held in the Council Chambers of the Enfield Town Hall, 820 Enfield Street, Enfield, CT.
AMENDMENT #1 by Councilor Falk, seconded by Councilor Egan to change the hearing date to March 6th.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared AMENDMENT #1 adopted
8-0-0.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4475 adopted, as amended, by an 8-0-0 vote.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
The appointment to the Commission on Aging will appear under New Business on the next agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: LIABILITY INSURANCE
Mr. Vindigni stated the Director of Finance made the recommendation to waive competitive bidding to extend the contract for two years based on financial advantages in terms of premium.
Councilor Mangini questioned whether this is for general liability insurance, and Mr. Simmons stated this is for the Towns overall liability coverage.
Chairwoman Strom stated this will be on the March 6th agenda.
DISCUSSION RE: ACCEPTANCE OF LAUREL STREET
Mr. Vindigni stated this can go under New Business on the next regular meeting agenda. He pointed out easement trenches are required to be paved, and if the developer does not conduct those repairs, the Town will use the bonds being held at this time to do the repairs.
Referring to Mr. Cabibbos memo of November 20,1999 and a statement regarding residents concerns about vehicles jumping the curb in the cul-de-sac, Councilor Fiore questioned whether that issue has been addressed. Mr. Vindigni stated his understanding that problem was addressed. He noted the only two outstanding items are the easement trenches. He pointed out all other factors have been addressed satisfactorily. He added this was also approved by Planning & Zoning earlier this month.
DISCUSSION RE: JOB DESCRIPTIONS
Mr. Vindigni stated the majority of these job descriptions went into effect with the new budget on July 1, 1999. He noted two of them were created during the course of the fiscal year by Council. He added the other three job descriptions reflect changes within the existing job descriptions as concerns the scope of duties or hiring prerequisites.
MOTION #4476 by Councilor Falk, seconded by Councilor Mangini to suspend the rules to address Items e. and i. under Miscellaneous this evening.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION #4476 adopted 8-0-0.
Items f., g., and h. will appear under New Business on the March 6th agenda.
Referring to Item f. (Transfer of $720.00), Councilor Fiore requested more details. Mr. Vindigni stated the Human Resources Department receives a substantial amount of confidential personnel related matters, and theyre requesting a fax machine. He noted cabinet storage space is also needed for personnel records.
DISCUSSION RE: TRASH BARRELS FOR THOMPSONVILLE
Councilor Surapine stated merchants on Pearl Street have been requesting trash barrels that will cut down on the amount of litter. He noted at the last Oktoberfest, barrels were supplied, and they were quite successful in cutting down on litter. He suggested this could be a pilot program, and merchants are willing to sign an agreement saying they will be responsible for emptying these barrels on a regular basis, as well as maintaining the cleanliness of the barrels. He noted this would only be two barrels.
Councilor Kaupin supported this idea.
Councilor Mangini questioned the possibility of doing the same in Hazardville. Chairwoman Strom noted this is a pilot program. Mr. Vindigni noted they could have a three to four month trial period to see how this works. It was the consensus of the Council to move forward with this pilot program.
MISCELLANEOUS
RESOLUTION #4477 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Egan.
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Enfield Town Council acting as the Flood and Erosion Control Board, does hereby authorize Town Manager Scott Shanley to enter into and amend any agreements with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protections (DEP) for the specific purpose of conducting engineering studies associated with the Susan Circle Flood and Erosion Control Board Project.
Councilor Fiore clarified this is only to allow the Town Manager to enter into some type of agreement with the state so that the town can then fund an engineering study on Susan Circle to find out whats happening, and they would then come back again to discuss this. Chairman Strom noted a study will ascertain whats happening and how it can be fixed.
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4477 adopted 8-0-0.
RESOLUTION #4478 by Councilor Kaupin, seconded by Councilor Egan.
RESOLVED, that in accordance with Chapter VI, Section 8(f) of the Town Charter, the following transfer is hereby made:
TO: Town Council $50,000.00
Acc. #1100-335 ~
Land & Bldg. Services ~
FROM: Acc. #8030-840 $50,000.00
Contingency ~
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify the amount of $50,000.00 is available from Account #8030-840 Contingency as of February 14, 2000.
/s/ Gregory Simmons, Director of Finance
Upon a ROLL-CALL vote being taken, the Chair declared RESOLUTION #4478 adopted 8-0-0.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS
Frank Jedziniak, 232 Abbe Road
Suggested the Teacher of the Year come before the Council for a presentation.
Robert Tkacz, 1300 Enfield Street
Stated the Town of Wareham, Massachusetts erects a beautiful, lit sign announcing their Council meeting notice with date and time.
Mr. Tkacz stated it is not courteous for the Council to stay in Executive Session beyond the start of a meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION #4479 by Councilor Falk, seconded by Councilor Mangini to adjourn.
Upon a SHOW-OF-HANDS vote being taken, the Chair declared MOTION#4479 adopted 8-0-0, and the meeting stood adjourned at 9:02 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeannette Lamontagne
Secretary to the Council
By Suzanne F. Olechnicki
Suzanne F. Olechnicki
Town Clerk
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